Fighting a ticket?

Don't Pay Your Traffic Ticket, Fight it!

Traffic citations in the Milwaukee area can range from a moving violation such as failing to stop at a stop sign to a drunk driving citation. Traffic citations can also include reckless driving, speeding, operating a motor vehicle after revocation of a driver's license, and operating a motor vehicle with a suspended license.

Traffic citations may be issued by city police, state police, campus police, and county sheriff departments for all kinds of traffic violations. Handling a traffic violation can be a stressful and frustrating experience, involving taking time off from work and other inconveniences. Depending on the nature of the violation, it may also involve demerit points on your record. Paying a traffic ticket is like entering a guilty plea, don't pay it, fight it!

If you are issued a parking ticket in the greater Milwaukee area and you want to challenge your ticket, you must schedule an appearance with the Parking Citation Review Manager. If you are unable to reach the Parking Citation Review Manager, the Municipal Court will make every effort to schedule you for a Municipal Court appearance on the same day. Having the help of a criminal defense lawyer can be especially helpful in challenging parking tickets as well as traffic citations.

When a driver is ultimately convicted of a "moving violation," demerit points are assessed as of the date of the moving violation. In Wisconsin, the courts forward all records of convictions to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) Division of Motor Vehicles.

The Point System

When a driver accumulates 12 demerit points over a 12 month period, their driver's license is suspended for a minimum of two months, but it can be longer. The majority of moving violations remain on the driver's record for five years from the date of the conviction, which can dramatically impact one's auto insurance rates for that long. The only exception is alcohol-related offenses or other serious offenses; those remain on the person's record for 55 years.

Some drivers do have the option of reducing their point total by three points when they attend an approved traffic safety course. However, drivers are only allowed one point reduction every three years and only to those violations that are in the A, B, C, or D classifications. Motorcycle violations also get one point reduction of three points every three years for points assessed in the M (motorcycle) category. Below are a few examples of how many points are currently assessed to moving violations in Wisconsin:

The attempt to elude a police officer – 6 points

Failure to uphold your duty following an collision – 6 points

Driving under the influence of drugs – 6 points

Reckless driving – 6 points

Speeding more than 20 mph over the speed limit – 6 points

Failing to yield the right of way – 4 points

Driving too fast for conditions – 4 points

Failure to use your turn signal – 3 points

Speeding up to 10 mph above the posted limit – 3 points

These are just a few examples of the Wisconsin demerit point system. As one can imagine, it wouldn't be difficult to accumulate 12 points in a short period of time, especially if they violated multiple vehicle codes at once. Aside from losing your license, one of the greatest problems that demerit points impose is skyrocketing insurance premiums which can cost you thousands of dollars over the span of several years. For this reason alone, anything you can do to reduce, if not eliminate the points on your record can save you a fortune in the long run and potentially save you from getting a suspended license.

Keeping Your Driving Record Clean

You have a legal right to defend yourself and present evidence in your favor in any traffic offense. By contacting me as a Milwaukee traffic citations attorney for a consultation about the circumstances of your traffic ticket, I can advise you of your legal options and the best possible course of action to take. I have helped innumerable individuals in fighting traffic tickets and in dealing with the consequences that follow a citation.

If you are facing a traffic citation of any kind in Milwaukee, or in the counties of Waukesha, Racine, Kenosha, Walworth, Jefferson, Dane, or Ozaukee and you need legal assistance in defending your case or in handling the citation, please contact me, Jason Baltz to discuss your case in a confidential interview.

The information on this website is for general information purposes only. Nothing on this site should be taken as legal advice for any individual case or situation. This information is not intended to create, and receipt or viewing does not constitute, an attorney-client relationship.